Lawrence Julius Taylor (born February 4, 1959), nicknamed
L.T., is a retired
Hall of FameThe Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, United States, on September 7 1963 with 17 charter inductees...
American footballAmerican football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, and often as Gridiron or Tackle football outside North America, is a competitive team sport known for combining strategy with physical play. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the...
player. Taylor played his entire professional career as a
linebackerA Linebacker is a position in American and Canadian football that was invented by football coach Fielding Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the
New York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The team plays its home games at Giants Stadium, which also serves as its headquarters, and trains at an adjacent practice facility within the Meadowlands Sports Complex...
in the
National Football LeagueThe National Football League is the largest professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...
(NFL). He is considered to be one of the greatest defensive players in the history of football, and has been called the greatest defensive player of all time by members of the media, former players, and coaches.
After an
All-AmericaAn All-American "team" is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific All-America and typically referred to as All-American athletes, or simply...
n career at the
University of North CarolinaThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. The university is the oldest in, and flagship of, the University of North Carolina system...
(UNC) (1978–1981), Taylor was drafted by the Giants as the second overall selection in the
1981 NFL DraftThe 1981 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 28-29, 1981...
. Although controversy surrounded the selection due to Taylor's contract demands, the two sides quickly resolved the issue. Taylor won several defensive awards after his rookie season. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Taylor was a disruptive force at outside linebacker, and is widely considered to have changed the pass rushing schemes, offensive line play, and offensive formations used in the NFL. Taylor produced double-digit
sacksIn American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled or run out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass...
each season from 1984 through 1990, including a career high of 20.5 in 1986. He also won a record three Defensive Player of the Year awards and was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) for his performance during the 1986 season. He was named first-team All-Pro in each of his first nine seasons and was a key member of the Giants' defense, nicknamed "The Big Blue Wrecking Crew", that led New York to victories in
Super Bowl XXISuper Bowl XXI was an American football game played on January 25, 1987 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1986 regular season...
and
XXVSuper Bowl XXV was an American football game played on January 27, 1991 at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1990 regular season...
. During the 1980s Taylor and fellow linebackers
Carl BanksCarl E. Banks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League from 1984 to 1995 for the New York Giants, the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Browns. He made the Pro Bowl in 1987, had 39.5 career quarterback sacks, and was a member of the NFL's 1980's All-Decade Team...
,
Gary ReasonsGary Phillip Reasons is a former American football linebacker for the New York Giants of the National Football League, winning Super Bowl XXI and Super Bowl XXV as a member of the team.-Biography:...
, and Hall of Famer
Harry CarsonHarold Donald Carson is a former American football inside linebacker who played his entire career for the New York Giants in the National Football League...
gave the Giants linebacking corps a reputation as one of the best in the NFL.
Taylor had a controversial lifestyle, during and after his playing career. He admitted to using addictive drugs such as
cocaineCocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system and an appetite suppressant...
as early as his second year in the NFL, and was suspended several times by the league for failing
drug testA drug test is a technical analysis of a biological specimen - urine, hair, blood, sweat, or oral fluid / saliva - to determine the presence or absence of specified parent drugs or their metabolites....
s. His drug abuse escalated after his retirement, and he was jailed three times for attempted drug possession. However, Taylor cleaned up his lifestyle and has lived a sober, drug-free life since 1998. He worked as a
color commentatorA color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The term is of North American origin. The color commentator provides expert analysis and background information, such as statistics, strategy and injury reports...
on sporting events for several years after his retirement and, as of 2009, is pursuing a career as an actor.
Early life
Lawrence Taylor was the middle of three sons born to Clarence and Iris Taylor in
Williamsburg, VirginiaWilliamsburg is an independent city of Virginia located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads region in southeastern Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 11,998. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
. His father worked as a
dispatcherDispatchers are communications personnel responsible for receiving and transmitting pure and reliable messages, tracking vehicles and equipment, and recording other important information...
at the Newport News shipyards, while his mother was a schoolteacher. Referred to as Lonnie by his family, Taylor was a mischievous youth. His mother recalls, "[h]e was a challenging child. Where the other two boys would ask for permission to do stuff, Lonnie...would just do it, and when you found out about it, he would give you a big story." Taylor concentrated on baseball as a youth, in which he played the position of
catcherCatcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order...
, and only began playing football at the relatively advanced age of fifteen. He did not play organized high school football until the following year (
eleventh gradeEleventh grade is the eleventh, and for some countries final, grade of secondary schools. Students are typically 16 or 17 years of age, depending on the country and the students' birthdays.-Canada:...
), and was not heavily
recruitedIn college athletics, recruiting is the term used for the process whereby college coaches add new players to their roster of student-athletes each off-season. In most instances, it involves a coach extending an athletic scholarship offer to a player who is about to graduate from high school or a...
coming out of high school.
After graduating from
Lafayette High SchoolLafayette High School is a public secondary school in James City County, Virginia, just outside the city limits of Williamsburg, Virginia. It is part of Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools and is located at 4460 Longhill Road.-History:...
in 1977, Taylor attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was a team captain, and wore #98. Originally recruited as a defensive lineman, Taylor switched to linebacker before the 1979 season. He had 16 sacks in his final year there (1980), and set numerous defensive records. His awards included
All-AmericaAn All-American "team" is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific All-America and typically referred to as All-American athletes, or simply...
and
Atlantic Coast ConferenceThe Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953, the ACC's twelve member universities compete in twenty sports in the Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
Player of the Year honors in 1980. While there the coaching staff marveled at his intense, reckless style of play. "As a freshman playing on special teams, he'd jump a good six or seven feet in the air to block a punt, then land on the back of his neck," said North Carolina assistant coach Bobby Cale. "He was reckless, just reckless." UNC later retired Taylor's jersey and after his career at UNC ended it became common for subsequent players to frequently be measured against Taylor. When
Julius PeppersJulius Frazier Peppers is an American football defensive end for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at North Carolina....
, a fellow alumnus and current member of the NFL's
Carolina PanthersThe Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, representing North Carolina and South Carolina in the National Football League. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, attended UNC he was frequently compared to Taylor. Peppers commented at the time, that while he appreciated the comparisons to Taylor, he was anxious to leave the university and get out of Taylor's shadow.
1981 NFL Draft and training camp
In the
1981 NFL DraftThe 1981 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 28-29, 1981...
, Taylor was
draftedThe NFL Draft is an annual two-day event in which the 32 NFL teams select new players from the NCAA college system. It is the NFL's most common source of player recruitment.-Venue:...
by the NFL's New York Giants as the # 2 pick overall, as a linebacker/defensive end. In a poll of NFL
General ManagerGeneral manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
s (GMs) taken before the draft 26 out of the 28 GMs stated that if they had the first selection they would select Taylor. One of two GMs who stated that they would not take Taylor was the GM of the
New Orleans SaintsThe New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints play in the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, who had the first pick in the draft. Giants General Manager George Young was one of the many who saw Taylor's potential and even predicted before the draft that he would be better than NFL legends such as
Dick ButkusRichard Marvin "Dick" Butkus is a former American football player, widely regarded as the greatest linebacker of his generation and one of the best football players of all time. Butkus starred as a football player for the University of Illinois and the Chicago Bears...
: "Taylor is the best college linebacker I've ever seen. Sure, I saw Dick Butkus play. There's no doubt in my mind about Taylor. He's bigger and stronger than Butkus was. On the
blitzIn American football or Canadian football, a blitz or red dog is a team defensive maneuver in which one or more linebackers or defensive backs, who normally remain on the defensive team's side of the line of scrimmage during a play, are instead sent across the line to the offensive side to try to...
, he's devastating." Shortly before the draft controversy arose, however, Taylor and his agent Mike Trope expressed a desire to sign a contract for a then unheard of rookie salary of $250,000
U.S. dollarsThe United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States. The U.S. dollar is normally abbreviated as the dollar sign, $, or as USD or US$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies and from others that use the $ symbol. It is divided into 100 cents .The U.S...
per season. Several players on the Giants even threatened to
walk outIn labor disputes, a walkout is a labor strike, the act of employees collectively leaving the workplace as an act of protest.A walkout can also mean the act of leaving a place of work, school, a meeting, a company, or an organization, especially if meant as an expression of protest or disapproval.A...
if Taylor was paid that salary, as they refused to play for less than an unproven rookie. On draft day the Saints selected
George RogersGeorge Washington Rogers is a former American football player who achieved distinction in both the college and professional ranks as a running back.-College career:...
as their first overall pick, which left the Giants with the decision of whether to select Taylor. Despite the controversy, and to the raucous approval of the crowd in attendance at the draft (which was held in New York City), the Giants selected Taylor. Taylor took to New York immediately, and expressed his excitement about the opportunity to play in the city. Shortly after the draft several Giants players backed down from their stance, as Taylor stated that he had "talked to some players and coaches" and "got things straightened out." Despite the contract controversy, one of the factors that the Giants stated they considered in selecting Taylor was his solid reputation coming out of college. "He was the cleanest player in the draft. By that I mean there was no rap on him," head coach
Ray PerkinsWalter Ray Perkins is a former American football wide receiver and coach at both the collegiate and professional levels.-Playing career:...
said after he was drafted. "Great potential as a linebacker, a fine young man, free of injuries."
Taylor has stated that he chose to wear number 56 because he was inspired by
Thomas HendersonThomas Henderson may refer to:Politicians* Thomas Henderson , American politician* Thomas Henderson , politician* Thomas J. Henderson Thomas Henderson may refer to:Politicians* Thomas Henderson (New Jersey) (1743–1821), American politician* Thomas Henderson (New Zealand) (fl. 1850s), politician*...
of the
Dallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team that plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . They are headquartered in suburban Irving, Texas, which lies between Fort Worth and Dallas...
.
Taylor's talent was evident from the start of training camp. Reports flowed out of the Giants training compound of the exploits of the new phenom before he had even stepped onto the field for an actual game. Taylor's teammates took to calling him
SupermanSuperman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective Comics, Inc...
and jokingly suggested that his locker should be replaced with a phone booth.
Phil SimmsPhillip Martin "Phil" Simms is a former American football quarterback, and currently a television sportscaster for the CBS network...
, the team's
quarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the center, in the middle of the offensive line. Quarterbacks are the leaders of the offensive team, responsible for calling the play in the huddle...
, stated the week before the Giants pre-season opener, "[o]n the pass rush, he's an animal. He's either going to run around you or over you. With his quickness, he's full speed after two steps." Simms later commented that he was looking forward to the season starting because, "[o]nce the season starts at least I won't have to play against him any more." Taylor made his NFL exhibition debut on August 8, 1981, recording 2 sacks in the Giants 23–7 win over the
Chicago BearsThe Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the NFC North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Years after facing Taylor in an exhibition game,
Pittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are currently a member of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
QuarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the center, in the middle of the offensive line. Quarterbacks are the leaders of the offensive team, responsible for calling the play in the huddle...
Terry BradshawTerry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
recalled, "[h]e dang-near killed me, I just kept saying, 'Who is this guy?' He kept coming from my blind side and just ripped my ribs to pieces." Before the season had even started word began to spread around the league about Taylor and his intense, hard-hitting style of play.
Early career: 1981–1985
Taylor's NFL regular season debut occurred on September 6, 1981 in a 24–10 loss to the
Philadelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The game was relatively non-noteworthy for Taylor except for his picking up a penalty for a late hit on Eagles running back Perry Harrington. Taylor went on to finish his rookie season with 9.5 sacks, and is often considered to have had one of the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history. Taylor was named 1981's
NFL Defensive Rookie of the YearSince 1967 The Associated Press has given two annual Rookie of the Year Awards to NFL American football players: one for an offensive player and one for a defensive player. These two are often regarded as the "official" awards...
and
NFL Defensive Player of the YearThe NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award is given by the Associated Press to the league's most outstanding defensive player at the end of every NFL season since 1971. Multiple-award winners include Lawrence Taylor, who won it three times, and Joe Greene, Mike Singletary, Bruce Smith, Reggie...
by the
Associated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, becoming to date the only rookie to ever win the Defensive Player of the Year award. Taylor's impact contributed to the Giants defense going from allowing 425 points in 1980 to 257 in 1981. The Giants finished the season 9–7, up 5 games from the previous season's 4–12 record, and advanced to the NFL divisional playoffs, where they lost 38–24 to the eventual
Super BowlThe Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League, the premier association of professional American football. In most years, the Super Bowl is the most-watched American television broadcast. Many popular singers and musicians have performed during the event’s pre-game and...
champion
San Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team. The team plays its home games in San Francisco, California, while the club's headquarters and practice facility are located in Santa Clara...
. The 49ers' win was due in part to a special tactic 49ers coach
Bill WalshWilliam Ernest "Bill" Walsh was an American head football coach of the San Francisco 49ers and Stanford University, during which time he popularized the West Coast offense....
used to slow Taylor. Walsh assigned guard
John AyersJohn Ayers was a National Football League offensive lineman from 1977 through 1987. During that span, he appeared in two Super Bowls: Super Bowl XVI and Super Bowl XIX for the San Francisco 49ers...
, the team's best blocker, to block Taylor and although Taylor still recorded a sack and three tackles he was not as effective as normal.
The 1982 season was shortened by a players
strikeStrike action, often simply called a strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to perform work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became important in factories and mines...
. Despite its short length, the season included one of the more memorable plays of Taylor's career. In the nationally televised
Thanksgiving DayThanksgiving may refer to:*Thanksgiving , the holiday on the fourth Thursday in November.*Thanksgiving , the holiday on the second Monday in October.*Thanksgiving...
game against the
Detroit LionsThe Detroit Lions are an American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in downtown Detroit....
the teams were tied 6–6 early in the fourth quarter, when the Lions drove deep into New York territory. Lions quarterback
Gary DanielsonGary Danielson is a former professional American football quarterback. He played for the Detroit Lions from 1976 to 1984 and for the Cleveland Browns in 1985, 1987 and 1988. He amassed 13,764 passing yards and 81 touchdowns in 101 games as a professional. He ranks fourth in Lions history in...
dropped back to pass and threw the ball out to his left toward the sidelines. Taylor ran in front of the intended receiver, intercepted the pass, and returned it for a touchdown. Taylor again won the Associated Press's Defensive Player of the Year Award. The Giants finished a disappointing 4-5.
Shortly after the 1982 season Perkins resigned as head coach to take over the same position at the
University of AlabamaThe University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA. Founded in 1831, UA is the flagship university of the University of Alabama System. Within Alabama, it is often called "the Capstone"...
and
Bill ParcellsBill Parcells is the current Executive Vice President of Football Operations for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He is also a former American football head coach, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2007...
was hired from within to replace him. Parcells had been the team's defensive coordinator, and in the coming years this change would prove crucial to the Giants and Taylor. Leading up to the
1983 seasonThe 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...
, Taylor engaged in a training camp holdout that lasted three weeks and ended when Taylor came back to the team under his old contract with three games remaining in the preseason.
Although Taylor recorded nine sacks and made the All-Pro team for the third consecutive season in 1983, the Giants struggled. The team finished 3–12–1, and Parcells received heavy criticism during the season from both the fans and the media. After the season, Taylor was involved in a fight for his services between the
New Jersey GeneralsThe New Jersey Generals were a franchise of the United States Football League established in 1982 to begin play in the spring and summer of 1983. The team played three seasons from 1983-85, winning 31 regular-season games and losing 25 while going 0-2 in postseason competition...
of the
United States Football LeagueThe United States Football League was an American football league that played three seasons between 1983 and 1985. Although it lasted only three years and lost over $163 million, it was by far the National Football League's strongest competitor since the 1960s' American Football League...
and the Giants. Taylor had been given a $1 million dollar interest-free, 25-year loan by the Generals' owner
Donald TrumpDonald John Trump is an American business magnate, socialite, author and television personality. He is the Chairman and CEO of the Trump Organization, a US-based real-estate developer. Trump is also the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts, which operates numerous casinos and hotels across the...
on December 14, 1983, with the provision that he would begin playing in the USFL in 1988. Taylor quickly regretted the decision and less than a month later attempted to get out of the agreement. The Giants, who were eager to keep Taylor, took part in attempting to free Taylor from it. The results of this tussle included many considerations but the ultimate result was threefold: 1) Taylor had to return the $1 million dollars to Trump, 2) the Giants were required to pay Trump $750,000 dollars over the next five seasons in order for Trump to release Taylor's rights, and 3) Taylor was given a new 6-year $6.2-million-dollar contract by the Giants.
The Giants' record rebounded to 9–7 in 1984, and Taylor had another All-Pro season. Taylor got off to an exceptional start to the season, getting four sacks in a September game. In the playoffs the Giants defeated the Los Angeles Rams 16–13, but ultimately lost 21–10 to the eventual champion 49ers.
In contrast to the previous season the Giants headed into the
1985 seasonThe 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:...
with a sense of optimism after their successful 1984 campaign and a 5–0 pre-season record in 1985. The Giants finished the season with a 10–6 record, and Taylor spearheaded a defense that led the NFL in sacks with 68. Taylor himself had 13 sacks. One of the more memorable plays of Taylor's career occurred during this season. On a
Monday Night FootballMonday Night Football is a live television broadcast of the National Football League. Originally airing on the ABC network from to , Monday Night Football was the second longest running prime time show on American broadcast network television and one of the highest-rated, particularly among male...
game against the Redskins, Taylor's sack of Redskins quarterback
Joe TheismannJoseph Robert "Joe" Theismann is a former Canadian and American football quarterback in the National Football League and Canadian Football League. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003...
inadvertently resulted in a
compound fractureA bone fracture is a medical condition in which there is a break in the continuity of the bone...
of Theismann's right leg. Immediately after the sack, a distraught Taylor frantically screamed for paramedics to attend to Theismann. Although this sack by Taylor ended Theismann's career, Theismann has never blamed Taylor for the injury. Taylor claims he has never seen the video clip of the play and says he never wants to. The two are currently great friends, pairing up during many celebrity golf tournaments. During the first round of the playoffs, the Giants defeated the defending champion 49ers 17–3. However, the Giants lost to the eventual champion Chicago Bears in the second round 21–0.
Mid-career and championships: 1986–1990
In 1986 Taylor had one of the most successful seasons by a defensive player in the history of the NFL. Taylor recorded a league-leading 20.5 sacks and became one of just two defensive players to win the NFL
Most Valuable PlayerThe National Football League Most Valuable Player Award is given by various entities, most notably the Associated Press , to the player who is considered most valuable in the league. The AP NFL MVP has been shared three times, in 1960, 1997, and 2003...
award (
Alan PageAlan Cedric Page is a jurist and former professional American football player. He graduated from Canton Central Catholic High School in 1963, received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and received his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1978...
was the other) and the only defensive player to be the unanimous selection for MVP. In addition, Taylor won the Defensive Player of the Year Award. The
Giants finished the season 14–2The 1986 New York Giants season was one of the most successful seasons in the professional American football franchise's history. The Giants, who play in the National Football Conference of the National Football League , won their fifth championship—and first Super Bowl—in franchise history during...
and dominated their opposition in the NFC playoffs, beating San Francisco and
WashingtonThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team based in the Washington, D.C. area. The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, which is in Prince George's County, Maryland. The team's headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn, Virginia, a community...
by a combined score of 66–3. Taylor appeared on the cover of
Sports Illustrated alone the week leading up to Super Bowl XXI with a warning from the magazine to the Denver Broncos regarding Taylor. The Giants overcame a slow start in Super Bowl XXI to cruise past the
Denver BroncosThe Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently a member of the American Football Conference Western Division in the National Football League . The Broncos began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League and joined...
39–20. Taylor made a key stop on a goal line play in the first half, tackling
John ElwayJohn Albert Elway, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback. He played his college football at Stanford and his entire professional career for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League ....
as he sprinted out on a rollout, a play which prevented a touchdown.
With the Super Bowl win, Taylor had just capped off an unprecedented start to his career. Six years into his career Taylor had won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award (1981), the
NFL Defensive Player of the Year AwardThe NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award is given by the Associated Press to the league's most outstanding defensive player at the end of every NFL season since 1971. Multiple-award winners include Lawrence Taylor, who won it three times, and Joe Greene, Mike Singletary, Bruce Smith, Reggie...
a record three times (1981, 1982, 1986), been named to the AP All-Pro first team six times (1981–86), became the first defensive player in NFL history to be unanimously voted the league's MVP (1986), and led his team to a championship (1986).
The Giants appeared to have a bright future coming off their 1986 championship season as they were one of the younger teams in the league. They stumbled mightily the next season however, and fell to a record of 6–9 in the strike-shortened
1987 seasonThe 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4-6 were played with replacement players...
. Taylor continued to produce at his usual all-pro level after missing the first 4 four games due to the strike and he finished the season as the team leader in sacks with 12 in 12 games played.
The Giants looked to rebound to their championship ways in 1988 but the start of the season was marred by controversy surrounding Taylor. Taylor tested positive for cocaine and was suspended by the league for thirty days, as it was his second violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy. The first result in 1988 had been kept private and was not known to the public at the time. He was kept away from the press during this period and checked himself into rehab in early September. Taylor's over-the-edge lifestyle was becoming an increasing concern for fans and team officials. This was especially true given the eventual career paths of talented players like Hollywood Henderson and others whose drug problems derailed their careers. Despite this distraction the Giants would tread water until Taylor was able to play, going 2–2 in the games Taylor missed. When Taylor returned he was his usual dominant self as he led the team in sacks again, with 15.5 in the 12 games he played in. The season also contained some of the more memorable moments of Taylor's career. In a crucial late-season game with playoff implications against the New Orleans Saints, Taylor played through a torn pectoral muscle to record seven tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles. Taylor's presence in the lineup was especially important as during the game the Giants' offense had trouble mounting many drives and was dominated in time of possession. Several times throughout the game television cameras cut to the sidelines to show Taylor in extreme physical pain as he was being attended to by the Giants staff. Taylor's shoulder was so severely injured that he had to wear a harness to keep it in its place. The Giants held on for a 13–12 win, and Parcells later called Taylor's performance "[t]he greatest game I ever saw." However, due to the tie-breaker system, the Giants missed the playoffs in 1988 despite a 10–6 record.
In 1989, Taylor recorded 15 sacks. He was forced to play the latter portion of the season with a fractured
tibiaThe tibia, shinbone, or shankbone is the larger and stronger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates and connects the knee with the ankle bones.The tibia is named for the greek aulos flute, also known as a tibia.-In humans:...
, which he suffered in a 34–24 loss to the 49ers in week 12.* Anderson, Dave.
SPORTS OF THE TIMES; Will L. T. Try to Play on a Broken Ankle?,
The New York Times, December 3, 1989, accessed March 23, 2008.
*Litsky, Frank.
Despite Fracture, Taylor Plays,
The New York Times, December 4, 1989, accessed March 23, 2008. Despite the off-the-field problems that Taylor experienced, he remained popular among his teammates and was voted defensive co-captain along with Carl Banks in 1989. The two combined to fill the vacated defensive captain's spot left by the retired Harry Carson. With the retirement of the nine-time Pro Bowler Carson, the Giants linebacker corps of Carson, Banks, and Taylor — which spearheaded the team's defense nicknamed the "Big Blue Wrecking Crew" in the 1980s — was broken up. The Giants went 12–4, and advanced to
the playoffsThe NFL playoffs following the 1989 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXIV.This was the last season in which the NFL used a 10-team playoff format. The league would expand the playoffs to 12 teams next season....
. In an exciting, down-to-the-wire game, the Rams eliminated the Giants 19–13 in the first round, despite Taylor's two sacks and one forced fumble.
The
1990 seasonThe 1990 NFL season was the 71st regular season of the National Football League. To increase revenue, the league changed the regular season so that all NFL teams would play their 16-game schedule over a 17-week period...
got off to an inauspicious start for Taylor and the Giants as Taylor held out of a training camp, demanding a new contract with a salary of $2 million dollars per year. Talks dragged into September with neither side budging, and as the season approached Taylor received fines at the rate of $2,500 dollars a day. Taylor signed a contract just four days before the season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite sitting out training camp and the preseason, Taylor started against the Eagles and finished with three sacks and a forced fumble. Taylor finished the season with 10.5 sacks and earned his 10th
Pro BowlIn professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
in as many years, although the season marked the first time in Taylor's career that he would not make the first team on the Associated Press All-Pro team. The Giants started out 10 – 0 and
finished with a 13–3 recordThe 1990 New York Giants season was one of the most successful seasons in the professional American football franchise's history. The Giants, who play in the National Football Conference of the National Football League , won their sixth championship—and second Super Bowl—in franchise history...
. In the playoffs the Giants defeated the Bears 31–3, and went on to face their rival the 49ers in the NFC conference championship game. The Giants won a close game 15–13, as Taylor recovered a key fumble late in the game to set up
Matt Bahr'sMatthew David Bahr is a former professional American football placekicker in the National Football League. He attended Neshaminy High School in Langhorne, Pennsylvania where he excelled in both football and soccer...
game-winning field goal. In Super Bowl XXV Taylor's Giants faced off against the
Buffalo BillsThe Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the metropolitan area of Buffalo, New York. They play their home games in the suburb of Orchard Park, and beginning in 2008, one home game is played in Toronto. They are members of the Eastern Division of the American Football...
and in one of the more entertaining Super Bowls in history won 20–19, after
Scott NorwoodScott Allan Norwood is a former American football placekicker in the NFL who played for the Buffalo Bills. Norwood was an integral part of its offense during the late 1980s and early 1990s, and kicked in Buffalo's first two Super Bowl appearances.-Early career:Norwood grew up in Alexandria,...
missed a potential game winning field goal for Buffalo at the end of the game.
Final years and decline: 1991–1993
Following the 1990 season Parcells, whom Taylor had become very close to, retired and the team was taken over by
Ray HandleyRay Handley is a former American football player and coach who is best remembered for his stormy two seasons as head coach of the National Football League's New York Giants in the early 1990s.-Collegiate career:...
. 1991 marked a steep decline in Taylor's production. It became the first season in his career that he did not make the Pro Bowl, after setting a then record by making it his first ten years in the league. Taylor finished with 7 sacks in 14 games and the Giants defense, while still respectable, was no longer one of the top units in the league.
Taylor rebounded in the early stages of what many thought would be his final season in 1992. Through close to 9 games Taylor was on pace for 10 sacks and the Giants were 5–4. However, a ruptured
Achilles tendonThe Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.-Anatomy:The Achilles is the tendonous extension of three muscles in the lower leg: gastrocnemius,...
suffered in a November 8 game against
Green BayThe Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League and are the third-oldest franchise in the NFL.The Packers are the last vestige of "small town...
sidelined him for the final seven games, during which the team went 1–6. Before the injury Taylor had missed only 4 games due to injury in his 12 year career, including two the previous year. Throughout the 1992 season, and the ensuing offseason, Taylor was noncomittal about his future, alternately saying he might retire, then later hinting he wanted a longer-term contract.
Taylor returned for the
1993 seasonThe 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
enticed by the chance to play with a new coach (the newly hired
Dan ReevesDaniel Edward Reeves is a former American football player and head coach. He played in two Super Bowls, Super Bowl V and Super Bowl VI and also coached in four more, Super Bowl XXI, Super Bowl XXII and Super Bowl XXIV as the Denver Broncos' head coach, and Super Bowl XXXIII as the head coach of...
), and determined not to end his career due to injury. The Giants experienced a resurgent season in 1993. They finished 11–5 and competed for the top playoff seeds in the conference. Taylor finished with 6 sacks, and the Giants defense led the NFL in fewest points allowed. The Giants played the Vikings in the first round of the playoffs and defeated them 17–10. The next week on January 15, 1994 in what would ultimately be Taylor's final game the Giants faced the 49ers and were beaten convincingly 44–3. As the game drew to a conclusion television cameras drew in close on Taylor who was visibly crying. Taylor announced his retirement at the post-game press conference saying, "I think it's time for me to retire. I've done everything I can do. I've been to Super Bowls. I've been to playoffs. I've done things that other people haven't been able to do in this game before. After 13 years, it's time for me to go."
By the time Taylor retired, he had amassed 1,088 tackles, 132.5 sacks (not counting the 9.5 sacks he recorded as a rookie because sacks did not become an official statistic until 1982), 9 interceptions, 134 return yards, 2 touchdowns, 33 forced fumbles, 11 fumble recoveries, and 34 fumble return yards.
Impact on the NFL
Taylor is often considered to be one of the greatest defensive players in the history of football, and has been ranked as the greatest defensive player in history by media members, former players, and coaches. He is also widely considered to be one of the most feared players to ever step onto the football field. Taylor's explosive speed and power is credited with having changed the position of outside linebacker from a "read and react" type of position to a more attacking, aggressive position.
Washington Redskins coach
Joe GibbsJoe Jackson Gibbs is an American football coach, NASCAR Championship team owner, and two time NHRA Pro Stock team owner. He was the 20th and 26th head coach in the history of the Washington Redskins...
developed the two
tight endThe tight end is a position in American football on the offensive team. The tight end is sometimes the last man on the offensive line, but has a slightly different build and, in some cases, a different role than other linemen...
offense and the position of
h-backAn H-Back is an offensive position in American football, and is also known as power back. The position is a hybrid of a fullback and a tight end. The position was made notable in the NFL by the Washington Redskins under head coach Joe Gibbs who ran a two tight end system...
to prevent Taylor from blitzing into the backfield unhindered. As Gibbs stated, "[w]e had to try in some way have a special game plan just for Lawrence Taylor. Now you didn't do that very often in this league but I think he's one person that we learned the lesson the hard way. We lost ball games." His skills at outside linebacker forced other coaches to retool their offensive schemes to manage his impact. In the late '70s and early '80s, a blitzing linebacker was almost always picked up by a running back. However, these players were usually no match for Taylor. The tactic employed by Bill Walsh in the 1982 playoffs, namely of employing an offensive guard to block Taylor, began to be copied around the league. This move, however, left a hole in the offensive protection that a middle linebacker could exploit. Later, Walsh and other coaches began using offensive left tackles to block Taylor. Although Taylor made adjustments to his game to remain dominant, it soon became common in the NFL for offensive linemen to pick up blitzing linebackers, such as Taylor. In addition to the changes in offensive schemes Taylor influenced, he also introduced new defensive techniques to the game such as chopping the ball out of the quarterback's hands rather than tackling him.
Drugs and extreme measures
In contrast to his success on the football field, Taylor's personal life has been marred by
drugThe term narcotic is believed to have been coined by the Greek physician Galen to refer to agents that benumb or deaden, causing loss of feeling or paralysis. It is based on the Greek word ναρκωσις , the term used by Hippocrates for the process of benumbing or the benumbed state...
usage and controversy. When Taylor was once asked what he could do that no outside linebacker could, his answer was, "Drink". However, alcohol abuse was not the largest of his substance abuse problems. After admitting to and testing positive for cocaine in 1987, he was suspended from football for 30 days in 1988 after failing a second drug test. After his second positive test he gave up drugs for five years as a third positive test would have ended his career. However, as he approached retirement he looked forward to picking up the habit again, saying in his second autobiography "I saw coke as the only bright spot in my future." After his retirement he began abusing drugs on a regular basis. He went through drug rehab twice in 1995, only to later be arrested twice over a three-year span for attempting to buy cocaine from undercover officers. During this period Taylor lived almost exclusively in his home with white sheets covering his windows and only associated with other drug users. Taylor later stated, “I had gotten really bad. I mean my place was almost like a
crack house-United States:In the United States crack house is a term used to describe an old, often abandoned or burnt-out building often in an inner-city neighborhood where drug dealers and drug users buy, sell, produce, and use illegal drugs, including, but not limited to, crack cocaine.In the 1980's, inner...
." In his first autobiography Taylor also admitted that he had begun using drugs as early as his second year in the NFL.
In a November 2003 interview with
Mike WallaceMyron Leon "Mike" Wallace is an American journalist. Wallace has been a correspondent for CBS' 60 Minutes since its debut in 1968...
on the television
newsmagazineA newsmagazine, also spelled news magazine, is usually a weekly magazine featuring articles or segments on current events. News magazines generally go more in-depth into stories than newspapers or television news, trying to give the reader an understanding of the context surrounding important...
60 Minutes60 Minutes is an American investigative television newsmagazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by long time producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation. It has been among the top-rated TV programs for much of its life,...
, Taylor claimed he hired and sent
prostitutesProstitution is the act or practice of engaging in sex acts for hire. In most cultures, prostitution is viewed by many as a deviant profession, either illegal or socially discouraged...
to opponents' hotel rooms the night before a game in an attempt to tire them out, and that at his peak, he spent thousands of dollars a day on narcotics. During the interview he also recounted several other instances of his hard-partying lifestyle during his years in the NFL, including an episode when he arrived to a team meeting in handcuffs after a night spent with some call girls. Taylor stated, "A couple of ladies that were trying out some new equipment they had. You know? And I just happened to, and they just didn't happen to have the key.” He also recounted that to beat NFL drug tests he would submit the urine of his teammates.
Post-NFL life and recovery
In Taylor's final year in the NFL (1993) he started a company called All-Pro Products. The company went public at $5 a share, and amazingly tripled in value during the first month of its existence. The stock price went up to $16.50 a share, at which point Taylor's stake had an estimated value of more than $10 million. However, the company ceased production shortly thereafter and Taylor, who never sold his stock, lost several hundred thousand dollars. Taylor had been defrauded by several members of the
penny stockIn the United States, a penny stock is a common stock that trades for less than five dollars a share and are traded over the counter through quotation services such as the OTC Bulletin Board or the Pink Sheets. Although a penny stock is said to be "thinly traded," share volumes traded daily can...
firm Hanover Sterling & Company, who had
short soldIn finance, short selling is the practice of selling assets, usually securities, that have been borrowed from a third party with the intention of buying identical assets back at a later date to return to the lender...
the company's stock, making it worthless. The Securities and Exchange Commission ruled that two traders had manipulated the price of the stock, which skyrocketed while the company was losing over $900,000.
In the first few years after his career ended Taylor worked in several regular television jobs. Taylor initially worked as a football analyst for the now defunct
TNT Sunday Night FootballThe NFL on TNT was the weekly United States television broadcast by Turner Network Television of Sunday evening National Football League games.-1982 NFLPA "all-star game" syndicated telecasts:...
. For a brief time after that Taylor appeared as a personality in the
WWFWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is a publicly-traded, privately-controlled integrated media and sports entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
, defeating Bam Bam Bigelow in the main event of
WrestleMania XIWrestleMania XI was the eleventh annual WrestleMania pay-per-view event held by the World Wrestling Federation at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut on April 2, 1995...
. He also worked as a color commentator on an amateur fighting program entitled
Toughman on the FX channel. On September 4, 1995, the Giants retired Phil Simms' jersey during halftime of a game against the Cowboys. Simms decided to celebrate the moment by throwing an impromptu ceremonial pass to Taylor. Simms recalled, "[a]ll of a sudden it kind of hit me, I've put Lawrence in a really tough spot; national TV, he's got dress shoes and a sports jacket on, and he's had a few beers and he's going to run down the field and I'm going to throw him a pass." Simms then motioned for Taylor to run a long pattern and after 30–40 yards threw him the pass. Taylor later commented that the situation made him more nervous than any play of his career, "I'm saying to myself (as the pass is being thrown), 'If I drop this pass, I got to run my black ass all the way back to Upper Saddle River because there ain't no way I'm going to be able to stay in that stadium'." Taylor caught the pass, however, and the capacity crowd in attendance cheered in approval.
Taylor has recently been pursuing a career in acting, appearing in the
Oliver StoneWilliam Oliver Stone is an American film director and screenwriter. Stone came to prominence as a director with a series of films about the Vietnam War, in which he had participated as an American infantry soldier, and his work continues to focus frequently on contemporary political and cultural...
movie,
Any Given SundayAny Given Sunday is a 1999 film directed by Oliver Stone featuring an ensemble cast, consisting of Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid, Jamie Foxx, James Woods, LL Cool J, Matthew Modine, John C...
where he played a character very much like himself. He also appeared as himself in both the HBO series
The SopranosThe Sopranos is an American television drama series created and produced by David Chase. It premiered on the premium cable network HBO in the United States on January 10, 1999 and ended its original run of six seasons and 86 episodes on June 10, 2007. The show has also been broadcast on A&E in...
and the film
The WaterboyThe Waterboy is a 1998 American comedy film directed by Frank Coraci. It stars Adam Sandler alongside Henry Winkler, Kathy Bates, Jerry Reed, and Fairuza Balk. Lynn Swann, Lawrence Taylor, Jimmy Johnson, Bill Cowher, Paul Wight and Rob Schneider have cameos...
. Taylor later appeared with
Samuel L. JacksonSamuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor. After Jackson became involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then, films. He had several small roles, before meeting his mentor, Morgan Freeman, and the director Spike Lee...
,
Richard RoundtreeRichard Roundtree is an American actor and former fashion model. He is best known for his portrayal of private detective John Shaft in the film Shaft and in its two sequels, Shaft's Big Score and Shaft in Africa .-Personal life:Roundtree was born in New Rochelle, New York, the son of Kathryn, a...
,
Christian BaleChristian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. In addition to starring roles in big budget Hollywood films, he has long been heavily involved in films produced by independent producers and art houses....
, Jeffrey Wright,
Vanessa L. WilliamsVanessa Lynn Williams is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Williams made history on September 17, 1983 when she became the first woman of African American descent to be crowned Miss America. Williams' reign as Miss America came to an abrupt end when scandal led to her subsequent...
,
Toni ColletteAntonia "Tony" Collette is an Australian actress and musician, known for her acting work on stage, television and film as well as a secondary career as the lead singer of the band Toni Collette & the Finish...
and
Busta RhymesTrevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known as Busta Rhymes , is a Grammy-nominated Jamaican-American rapper, songwriter, and actor...
in the
2000 version of ShaftShaft is a 2000 action-crime film directed by John Singleton, and starring Samuel L. Jackson, Toni Collette, Busta Rhymes, Vanessa L. Williams, Jeffrey Wright, Mekhi Phifer and Christian Bale. This film is technically not a remake of the 1971 film of the same name, but rather a sequel, since it...
. Taylor also added his voice to the controversial video game,
Grand Theft Auto: Vice CityGrand Theft Auto: Vice City is a sandbox-style action-adventure computer and video game designed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the second 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and sixth original title overall...
, playing the steroid-riddled, possibly insane former football player B.J. Smith, a character that poked fun at his fearsome, drug-fueled public image. He also added his voice to the controversial video game
Blitz: The LeagueBlitz: The League is an American football game by Midway as an unlicensed extension of their NFL Blitz series. Released after the NFL signed an exclusive licensing deal with Electronic Arts, it was released in October 2005 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Lawrence Taylor, who provides voice acting...
, which was partially based on his life in the NFL.
In 1999, when Taylor became eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, there were some concerns that his hard-partying lifestyle and drug abuse would hurt his candidacy. These concerns proved to be ill-founded, however, as he was voted in on the first ballot. His son Lawrence Taylor Jr. gave his introduction speech at the induction ceremony. Taylor's ex-wife, his three children, and his parents were in attendance and during his induction speech Taylor acknowledged them saying, "[t]hank you for putting up with me for all those years." He also credited former Giants owner
Wellington MaraWellington Timothy Mara was the co-owner of the NFL's New York Giants from 1959 until his death and one of the most influential and iconic figures in the history of the National Football League. He was the younger son of Tim Mara, who founded the Giants in 1925 and which Wellington was a ball boy...
for being supportive of him saying, "[h]e probably cared more about me as a person than he really should have."
In recent years, Taylor has cleaned up his life and lived a healthy, clean lifestyle since 1998. He is currently married to his third wife. Taylor's soul-wrenching admission with Mike Wallace in 2003 reignited his popularity with the public. Taylor often speaks of his playing career, which he played with reckless abandon, and the drug-abusing stages of his life as the "L.T." periods of his life. Taylor described "L.T." as an adrenaline junkie who lived life on a thrill ride. Taylor commented in 2003 that "L. T. died a long time ago, and I don't miss him at all...all that's left is Lawrence Taylor."
In July 2006 Taylor again re-emerged into the public eye, appearing on the cover of a
Sports Illustrated issue dedicated to former athletes and sport figures. In the magazine Taylor credited his hobby of
golfGolf is a precision club-and-ball sport, in which competing players , using many types of clubs, attempt to hit balls into each hole on a golf course while employing the fewest number of strokes. Golf is one of the few ball games that does not require a standardized playing area...
with helping him get over his previous hard-partying ways and drug filled lifestyle. He is a founding partner at eXfuze, a
network marketingNetwork marketing is a general term for a type of marketing that is usually performed by an individual instead of a company. It refers to the use of interpersonal or social networks to market products and services for business purposes as opposed to the more traditional and common practices of...
company based in West Palm Beach, Florida. Along with former NFL greats such as Eric Dickerson and Seth Joyner, he is a spokesman for Seven+, the flagship multi-botanical drink produced by the company. His son Brandon recently signed a national letter to play with the
Purdue BoilermakersBoilermakers is the official moniker for the intercollegiate athletic teams of Purdue University. As is common with athletic nicknames, it is also used as colloquial designation of Purdue's students and alumni at large....
.
On February 8, 2009, Taylor was named as one of the contestants on the eighth season of
Dancing with the StarsDancing with the Stars is the name of a group of international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide - the commercial arm of the BBC...
. His professional partner is
Edyta ŚliwińskaEdyta Śliwińska is a professional ballroom dancer. She is best known for her appearances on the American version of the reality television series Dancing with the Stars. Śliwińska is the only professional dancer to appear on all nine seasons of the American series.-Early life:Śliwińska comes from...
. He was eliminated in the seventh week on the April 21, 2009 show.
Career statistics
Sources:
| SEASON |
TEAM |
GP |
Sacks |
Int |
Yds |
TD |
FR |
Yds |
TD |
| 1981 |
New York |
16 |
9.5* |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
| 1982 |
New York |
9 |
12.5 |
1 |
97t |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 1983 |
New York |
16 |
12 |
2 |
10 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
| 1984 |
New York |
16 |
11.5 |
1 |
-1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 1985 |
New York |
16 |
18 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
25 |
0 |
| 1986 |
New York |
16 |
20.5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 1987 |
New York |
12 |
12 |
3 |
16 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 1988 |
New York |
12 |
15.5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| 1989 |
New York |
16 |
15 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 1990 |
New York |
16 |
10.5 |
1 |
11t |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| 1991 |
New York |
14 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
| 1992 |
New York |
9 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
| 1993 |
New York |
16 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Totals |
|
184 |
142** |
9 |
134 |
2 |
11 |
34 |
1 |
* Unofficial statistic (sacks did not become an official statistic until 1982), however this number is stated on Taylor's Pro Football Hall of Fame bio, and is considered to be accurate.
** This total includes the 9.5 Taylor unofficially recorded as a rookie. However, the NFL officially recognizes 132.5 sacks for Taylor.
Key to Abbreviations
GP= Games Played
Int= Interception
Yds= Yards
t= Play resulted in a touchdown
TD= Touchdowns
FR= Fumbles Recovered
External links